The Way To Her
by angiemimah
Summary: Jace Wayland finds himself in a tricky situation where he will have to choose whether to save his 3 year relationship girlfriend, Allison, or the girl, Clary, he randomly saw and saved from a demon in an alleyway and who he might have fallen in love with. Not only does he have to deal with angry demons, but with emotional roller coasters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – **_The Moment_

Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter. I saw her eyes widen in fear as the monstrous beast stood over her, licking its bloodstained lips. Her hand drew up to somehow protect herself from it. How was she going to accomplish that with a simple hand? I do not know, but I drew my sword and pierced it through the beasts back, making it convulse and explode, sending shreds of clothing into the air. I heard a piercing scream, making me remember the reason why I was there. I ran to the girl that was crouched in the corner of the alley. She kept screaming a blood curdling scream, sending shivers down my arm. That caught me by surprise. I was never one to get bothered by these like this. All I knew was that I needed to get to her. It was an impulse I didn't even know existed within me. As I got closer, she backed away from me. I stopped in my tracks, reading pure horror on her face.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." I tried to reassure her. "I really need you to stop screaming."

"Why?" she yelled. "So no one can hear you kill me and call the cops on you?"

I snickered at that. "The cops? Trust me; cops won't stop me from killing something."

I realized what I said right after I said it. I saw her face turn back to horror and knew instantly what she was going to do. I grabbed for her right as she stood up and turned to run towards the back of the alley. She screamed when I grabbed her by the arms and in that instant, a jolt, an electric feel ran up my arms and I let go right away. I knew she felt the same thing by the way she turned to me with an awe look in her face. I must have had the same expression because her posture changed, relaxed.

"What was that?" she asked. Her breath started to slow and she looked me in the eyes. A sure sign of a mundane trusting you. But she was not just a human. I can tell by the way she was able to see me and also about the way my breath hitched when I looked at her. My name is Jace Wayland, and I am a Shadowhunter. And in that moment, my life changed.

I stared back at her and before I knew it, she collapsed. I tried to reach for her but knew that it was no use. She was unconscious right when I grasped her. Her body was so tiny; it felt frail in my strong arms. I looked at her closed eyes, her eyelashes sending long shadows down her cheeks, her cheeks full of freckles all the way to her nose, slightly curving downwards towards her full, pink lips. I couldn't keep my eyes away from her. I heard noise at the end of the alley opening and my head snapped up, reflexively hiding the girl behind me.

"What are you doing?" a familiar girls voice came to my ears. As she reached the area where I was crouched, protectively holding the girl, she came to a sudden halt. "What have you done, Jace?"

"Isabelle! We have to get her to the Institute. She was getting attacked by a demon and out of nowhere, she collapsed" I explained to her as I picked up the girl in my arms.

"WHAT!? A demon? Where?" Isabelle exclaimed, as she frantically looked around, slowly uncurling her whip. Her baby, as she called it. It was a lethal weapon, made only out of Shadowhunter gold electrum wire. It was given to her for her 10th birthday by her father. Well, our father. He isn't biologically mine, but he's been there for me as he was there for Isabelle and Alec, Isabelle's brother.

"Don't worry, I killed it right before he finished her off." I grunted, as I tried to shift the girl's weight around in my arms.

"Jace, why do you get yourself in these situations?" Isabelle scoffed. "Let's go to the Institute. Maybe Hodge can help."

We walked in silence, once in a while, Isabelle helping me hold the girl up.

"What where you doing in that alleyway, by the way?" Isabelle asked, halfway there.

I ignored her question for as long as I could, trying to bid my time from explaining to her how I saw her coming out of the movie theaters when I was on my daily routine of catching demons out in the Brooklyn streets, how I watched her hug and wave goodbye to a guy in glasses, how I watched them walk opposite ways and how I saw the demon slowly following her.

"Well?" she insisted.

"I was just doing my daily routine. You know how it is." I turned my head to hide the red slowly creeping on my face. You can never hide things like these with Isabelle, so I knew I didn't fool her with that story when I felt her eyes on me. I turned to sneak a peek but she was looking straight ahead, I hard look on her face. She stopped asking her questions, for now. And I was relieved.

We got to the Institute fairly fast, hurrying to take the girl to the infirmary. Right when we walked into the institute, Alec came bounding down the stairs.

"Well, what did you catch now, brother?" his smile stopped midway once he saw what we were holding, or who we were holding. "What's this? What have you done, Jace?"

"Why do you automatically think this was all me?" I asked, feigning an incredulous and appalled look.

"Cause you always get into tricky situations." He scolded me as he followed us up the stairs. "And this looks like a big time tricky situation."

Isabelle smirked. "Told 'ya"

I smiled back. Leave it for Isabelle to make intense situations a little bit more relaxed. We got the infirmary and we heaved the girl into one of the beds.

"I'll go get Hodge." Isabelle insisted. I watched her leave and automatically turned to look at the girl on the bed. She looked so peaceful; she made me feel peaceful and full. A smile crept onto my face. I felt eyes on me and before I could put on my hard face, Alec grabs me and pulls me to my feet.

"What is she doing here? She's a pure mundane, and you bring her to the heart of all our existence?" he yells. "What were you thinking on bringing her here?"

I pulled away from his grip, anger creeping on my voice. "She was being attacked. I couldn't leave her to die!"

"Jace, you've helped humans live without bringing them here. What's it to you if she was okay or not?" Alec glared at me.

"Because I HAD to help her! There's just something about her!" I yelled.

Alec's eyes widened in surprise and I saw him glance behind me, towards the door. Before I could turn, I heard her voice, full of hurt and jealousy?

"Baby?"

I turned around, and my girlfriend, Allison Sandfell, stood in the doorway with a hurt and confused look on her face, glancing between me and the girl that lay on the bed next to me.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Understanding

**Thank you for the reviews! I really like the way this story is heading, hopefully you guys can see that as well :)**

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**Chapter 2 – **_The Understanding_

"You can't just bring a mundane here." Allison scoffed. I winced at the way she said mundane, with clear distaste. We stood outside the infirmary door, talking about the "situation I beheld among them", in the terms of Alec.

"Allison, baby, I couldn't just leave her there. She knew what she was looking at when that beast tried to tear her head off." I recoiled from the memory. I took a deep breath and remembered the look she had when I approached her in the alley. _She was able to see me, even though I made sure to disguise myself to her. _"She also saw _me_."

Allison looked at me, bewildered. "She what?"

"If you were truly hidden, like you said you were, she shouldn't have been able to see you." Alec responded. "I mean, a mundane cannot see us, should not see us. That's impossible."

"That's why I couldn't leave her there. There's something about her. She's clearly not _just_ a mundane." I tried to shed light on them, on this whole situation. We turned around when we heard footsteps approaching. It was Isabelle and Hodge. I ran up to Hodge and grabbed him by the arm. "You have to go check if she's okay. She hasn't woken up and it's been quite a while since she's been out."

Allison stared at me, confused. They all did, I noticed.

"Baby, you need to calm down. I'm sure she's fine." She flipped her hair and crossed her arms. "Stop sounding so anxious. You swear like you even know the girl."

I ignored her and dragged Hodge into the infirmary. We both stopped once we entered. She was awake. She was sitting on the bed, patiently waiting there with her shoes on, her bag over her shoulder. I strode towards her, hoping she wouldn't cringe away from me like last time. I couldn't bear her thinking I was a monster. She couldn't think of me like that. It caught me by surprise that that even bothered me. She blinked at us all and got up slowly.

"Well. Um, this was a nice visit but I think I'll be going now." She slowly moved around us, keeping a close eye on us all.

"Wait, you can't go." I said.

"I think I can. I don't know who you are and you brought me into this castle thing and I don't know how I got here or why I'm here!" And that's when memories flooded into her brain. Her face turned into comprehension and she opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it right after. It took her a few minutes to open her mouth again. "I was attacked by a monster thing, I'm in some sort of scary castle and you keep calling me a mundane, when I know for a fact, that I'm not boring. I'm going crazy so I think I'm going to go home and lie down in MY bed and sleep this off. It's probably just a dream, anyways." She laughed nervously. I couldn't find anything funny in what she said. I frowned.

"Oh please, she's so dramatic!" Allison threw her hands up. "Just get rid of her already!"

And at that, she walked out the infirmary. I looked over at the girl and she was staring at me, with an intent look in her eyes. I looked away before she noticed that I was blushing. I sensed a hand on my arm and turned to see who it was. Hodge walked towards the girl, taking his hand away from my arm.

"This isn't a dream, Clary." _Clary?_ I heard a gasp.

"How do you know my name?" she asked in a whisper.

"That's such a beautiful name." I blurted out. _Oops._ Alec glared at me and walked away, towards the door.

"I don't have time for this. Hopefully by morning this will all be done with." He says while walking away, with his back to us.

I look at Isabelle and she's looking at me, with a slight smile. I stare at her, squinting my eyes at her. _She knows._ She looks away and turns towards Clary, a slight smirk on her face. I shake my head at her even though she can't see me.

"I don't understand." I hear Clary exclaim.

"Clary, were your parents Shadowhunters?" Hodge went on.

"Shadowhunters?" She asks, confused. "I don't understand. What do you mean, Shadowhunters? My mom is a, is a, a painter… Yeah, a painter."

"Are you sure? You sound like you're not quite sure of what you're saying." Hodge continues.

"And my dad, he died when I was little. I don't know anything about him but I'm sure he's not some sort of Shadowhunter."

I'm staring at her and i saw a flash in her eyes. I started. Isabelle glanced at me. I wasn't sure what I saw, it was quick but it was there. She's not a mere human, that I was sure of. I walked towards her and she looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to explain to her what was going on. She looked at me as if she trusted me.

"Clary…. What's your father's name?" I asked, with caution.

"What? My father's name? Why are you asking me this?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Do you know?" I asked, reaching for her hand. She didn't tug it away but actually closed the space between our hands. A jolt. An electric feel. But this time, we kept holding on. I felt fluttering in my stomach, something I've never felt before. I made a mental note to ask Isabelle about it tonight.

"His name was Valentine." She responded.

A gasp. A grunt. And a sudden pull on her arm that I didn't quite know why it was happening until I felt my hand slam against my thigh. I was the sudden pull on her arm, wrenching my hand away from her. I looked at her with wide eyes and she looked back with hurt in her eyes. I felt hands come down my arms and turned to see Isabelle pulling me back.

"Jace, I think Hodge needs some time alone with her. Let's go see where the others went." She kept pulling me towards the door. With each step, I was farther away from her, from her hurt face, from her arms holding herself as if she was holding herself together. I tried to free myself from Isabelle's grasp and go hold Clary myself but Isabelle was always stronger than me. The last thing I saw was Clary's scared face staring right at me, right before the infirmary door closed.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Threat

**Thanks for the reviews once again. It sure brings a smile to myself knowing I'm actually doing a good job with this story. I will try to update as soon as I can! :)**

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**Chapter 3 – **_The Threat_

Isabelle guided me down the hallway while I tried to free myself from her grip. She turned a corner and pushed me to the wall. She stood there, staring at me intently.

"So she's the one that everyone is looking for." She cursed under her breath. "She thinks Valentine is dead! She has no clue what or who she is! This is big. Really big." She started pacing.

I hesitated a bit before I asked the question that's been running in my mind ever since she pulled me away from Clary. "Do you... do you think she'll be staying here?" I looked up to meet her gaze. "Well, I mean, we can't just leave her out there with every demon walking in the world looking for her. Especially since she has no clue as to what's going on." _That's why the demon was cornering her..._ I couldn't imagine what would've happened if I didn't see anything, if I wasn't there in that street at that moment.

"Possibly." Isabelle said, looking down the hallway. "I don't think Hodge will leave her defenseless out there."

I didn't think so either. All I wanted to know was whether she would be okay. Especially with all this news that's being dumped onto her. I looked up to Isabelle looking at me. I frowned at her.

"What?" I asked.

It took her a moment to reply back. She sighed. "Nothing, Jace. You should head back to Allison. I expect she'll be waiting for you." She turned to walk away and I grabbed her by the arm.

"Isabelle, wait. I need to ask you something." I suddenly realized that my face was burning up. I was embarrassed to bring this up. Isabelle looked at me, expectantly. "Every time I touch… Clary, I feel this sort of jolt, like electricity running up my whole body. I don't know why it's happening, but I've never felt that before."

She looked at me with a worried, wide eyed looked, I quickly regretted telling her anything. She took me by the hands and held them between her hands. She looked me straight in my eyes and that's when I knew the next words she was going speak were not going to be good. "Jace. Listen to me. You cannot fall in love with her. Especially with her being Valentine's daughter."

I drew back instantly, stepping back from her. "Whoa! Nobody is falling in love! I don't even know her." We both knew those words were lies the second I said them. "How is that even possible? She's just some random girl I saw- "

"And had the need to save?" Isabelle interrupted me. I looked back at her, slowly shaking my head. "Jace, the reason you've never felt that way before is because you've NEVER felt it before. Not even with Allison because we all know that you don't really love her."

I looked back shocked. "Okay, I love Allison. I really do, but I don't know what it is about Clary. It's driving my head insane just thinking about all these feelings."

She pushed me to wall, rather hard I might add, and grabbed me with both hands on either side of my head. "You can't fall in love with Clary. Not only is she basically forbidden for who's her parent, but for God's sake, Jace! You were planning on proposing to Allison tomorrow!" she sighed and let go. "She's off limits. No matter what way you may look at it, a relationship with her would not go good. Trust me, brother."

I sighed. "I'll do my best to stay away."

"I love you. I don't want anything to happen to you." she nudged me on my arm, playfully. "Now I really think you should go back to Allison. Good night."

I stood there, watching her go. I don't know how long I stayed there for but I slowly made my way to the room, thinking about what Isabelle said. I need to dedicate my time to Allison and I knew that was going to be hard with Clary around, if she was going to stick around. I opened the door to our room and crept inside, trying my hardest not to wake up Allison. She was fast asleep on our bed, breathing slowly, deep in sleep, deep in dreams. I stripped from my clothes and stayed in my boxers like every night. I got into bed and lay there, staring into the ceiling. Allison turned in her sleep and was facing me. I looked at her. Allison was beyond beautiful. She had rosy cheeks, nice plump lips, golden hair that went all the way to her back. Anyone could have had her but she chose me. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to _love_ her. I never felt the way I've read in books, or seen in movies, in TV shows. I loved her, she was beautiful, but she was empty, an empty personality, an empty shell of a person. I drew myself to her and caressed my lips to her. A smile crept to her lips. It didn't bring any happiness to me knowing I made her happy. I didn't bring any emotion to me. I sighed and lay back down, staring back into the ceiling. I closed my eyes after a while, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I woke up to birds chirping, sunlight hitting my face, singing coming from the bathroom, the shower water turning on. I sat up and looked at the time. I got up and put on my sandals. I tiptoed to the bathroom and took a peek inside. I saw Allison's silhouette in the shower door. Her perfectly shaped body stirring something inside me. I backed away, having a feeling of wrongdoing. I frowned, making my way to the bedroom door. I made my way to the kitchen, feeling my stomach turning in every direction possible from the hunger. I realized I haven't eaten since yesterday, before the incident. I walked into the kitchen and saw Isabelle bent into the fridge. I made my way to her.

"Good morning, sunshine. How'd you sleep?" I asked, sitting down on one of the chairs in the island. And then I almost fell right out my chair! It wasn't Isabelle! It was Clary!

She smirked. "I slept great, buttercup. How 'bout you?"

I stared at her with wide eyes ignoring the fluttering I felt in my stomach when she called me buttercup. _Pathetic._

"You know, I should be the one staring at you like that. I mean, I did just find out that my parents are demon hunters and that my father is still alive and not only that, but he wants to keep demons here. Oh and don't forget, that you're one of them. Thanks for letting me know."

I shook my head before replying. "How was I supposed to tell you anything? You passed out the minute I touched you."

She looked at me over her shoulder. "Does that always happen with you? You electrocute every girl you meet to try to get in their pants?"

_Whoa, I wasn't expecting that._ "Whoa, what? It wasn't even like that! I've never felt that before. So it's clearly not me."

"Oh, so it's me that wants to get in your pants?" she scoffed.

"Um, excuse me but nobody is getting into my boyfriend's pants but me." We both turned toward the kitchen door and Allison was standing in the doorway, with pure fury on her face.

"Oh, um, no! I didn't say… I didn't mean… I don't know what…. I …." Clary was lost in words. She glanced at me. "I should go." Before I said anything, she ran off, dodging Allison when she got to the doorway. Allison walked to me and placed her hand on my arm and bend down slightly to stare into my eyes.

"You stay away from her. If you don't, everything we've worked for will go down the drain. I'll make sure everything you've worked for, will be down the drain as well." She smiled and kissed me. I just sat there, stunned. She straighten up and asked cheerfully. "So what's for breakfast?"

I had nothing to say.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Garden

**Sorry I haven't been keeping up to date. I will try my hardest to become better at that! Thank you for the reviews and the follows!**

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**Chapter 4 – **_The Garden_

That afternoon, Hodge called for a meeting at the library. Allison grabbed my hand as we walked towards the library. We opened the creaky double doors and Clary was sitting on one of the couches. She looked up and my breath hitched while my heart started pounding super-fast. She glanced back down, a bit of a blush forming on her cheeks. Allison tugged hard on my hand towards the back of the room and we sat on a loveseat. She lifted her legs onto my lap and smiled at me. I smiled back. But I knew that it didn't fool her. Her smile dropped and looked away with a hard face. A few minutes later, Isabelle and Alec walked in and sat on one of the couches. Someone cleared their throat and Hodge stepped towards the front of the room.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice but we have something we need to discuss." He glanced towards Clary. "I have learned that our unexpected guest, Clary, is in fact not a mundane but a full-blooded Shadowhunter."

Allison leaned forwards. "What? She has no marks. She can't be a Shadowhunter."

"And there's an explanation to that. Clary's mom moved away from this life when she was pregnant with her. Now, the next thing I am going to say will come as a shock but we need to have an open mind about this and put ourselves in her shoes." Hodge continued.

I glanced at the back of Clary's head and saw her make small movements as if she hated being in the center of attention. He looked back at Hodge as he started to speak again.

"Clary's dad is…. Valentine."

Allison and Alec gasped.

"What the hell is she doing here then?" Alec yelled. "If every demon here is looking for her, she needs to go! We can bring anything in here!"

"Alec…" Isabelle whispered as she put her hand on her brother's arm. Isabelle glanced at Clary and so did I. She was standing up and staring at Hodge.

"What? Demons? Demons are looking for _me?_" she said in a soft voice. "Why didn't you tell me this? What do they want with me? Why is this happening?"

She started to panic and I reflexively stood up, throwing Allison's legs off.

"What the hell!" Allison yelled. She grabbed my arm and pulled down. "Don't you dare go with her."

She pulled me down on to the sofa and grabbed my arm hard. I saw something in Allison that I've never seen before. Something that I did not like, at all. I heard Hodge trying to console Clary while she was breathing super-fast with tears in her eyes. I had the strongest urge to tell Allison _Fuck you_, but that would not have ended well for any of us. Hodge finally got Clary to calm down and sit down. He looked over to us all.

"We can't let any harm come to her so I decided that Clary will be staying at the Institute."

"WHAT!?" Both Allison and Alec stood up. Allison looked like she could kill and Alec just looked worried. This time, I grabbed for Allison but she pulled her arm away and stormed out the library.

"Hodge, this is insane! She cannot stay here." he glared at Clary.

"Alec, please. It's the best for us all." Hodge tried reasoning with him.

"No, it's not. We're keeping the thing that Valentine wants the most. And once it gets to him that we've been keeping here, hiding her, we'll all be dead." Alec had a point but I still couldn't help but wince and wonder what Valentine will do to Clary.

"That won't happen, Alec. As long as she stays here, she will be safe and that way, we can teach her and have her learn her real identity. We can teach to become a strong Shadowhunter. After all, it runs in her veins." Hodge looked determined. He glared at Alec after a moment of silence. "I run this Institute, so if you don't like any of it, feel free to walk out the door. We all know what a great house you have waiting for you."

Alec winced. He looked beyond angry. Isabelle looked hurt as well. Everyone knew that the Lightwoods had left their kids at the Institute with Hodge while they became part of the Clave a few years back. They had nowhere to go. I the same, but for some reason, I always felt the Institute being my home. Nowhere else. Alec walked past Hodge and looked down at Clary. He gave her an ugly stare and walked out the library. I got up and walked over to Clary. She looked up with tears in her eyes. I held out my hand.

"Come on, let's go look for your room." I smiled at her. She smiled back and grabbed for my hand. I looked back at Isabelle and she looked at me with a hard stare. I looked away. We walked out the doors, not before I heard Isabelle back in the room.

"Hodge, we have a problem I need to discuss with you."

The doors closed before I could hear anything else. I will deal with that later.

I showed Clary every part of the Institute. She never let go of my hand, as if she was scared that if she did, it will all fade away. Every time she saw something that fascinated her, she would gasp and have a complete look of awe on her face. I couldn't help but stare at her every time she would do it. It made me feel whole. And that never happens to me. We got to the Garden at the roof of the Institute.

"Wow." She finally let go of my hand but only to look all around her. She knelt over every flower she liked and touched every petal. I felt like petals were falling all over my stomach as I looked at her. She looked up at me and smiled. "Who grew all this?"

"Every Shadowhunter that has come to learn here at the Institute." I told her. "That's my spot over there." I pointed towards one of the corners. She got up and ran to it. I laughed and ran to it as well.

"It's so beautiful." She said. I bent down and grabbed one of my favorites. A white rose.

"Here, this is for you." I offered her the flower. She took it and smiled a big smile.

"Why are you so nice to me? Everyone here hates me." She looked down.

"They don't hate you. They just need to get used to the whole idea. It's a lot to take in." I reassured her.

"Huh. Tell me about it." She sighed. "And why have you gotten used to it so fast?"

I looked at her and grabbed for her hand. "I don't know."

I got closer to her and looked down at her while she looked up at me. I brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. I traced my fingers against her cheek and she closed her eyes while breathing in. I caressed her lips and she opened her eyes. Without thinking, I bent down and smoothed my lips against hers. They were the softest and sweetest lips I've ever encountered before. Suddenly, the kiss became more urgent. I grabbed her by the waist and pressed her against me. She lifted her arms and grabbed my hair, making me want to kiss her harder. She pulled away and looked me in the eyes. We were both breathing fast. I grabbed her by the face and gave her a small kiss. And we stood there, looking into each other's eyes.


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